SLIM GURU

Posts

Showing posts from 2011

THINKING ABOUT A TUMMY TUCK ?

Abdominoplasty, the medical term for what is commonly called a "tummy tuck," involves surgically removing excess skin and fat from the middle and lower part of the abdomen and sometimes tightening the abdominal muscles. The result is a flatter abdomen, and sometimes, a smaller waist, because the procedure corrects loose, sagging skin and excess fat. Any scars are usually located below the line of a swimsuit or underwear. A person's type of skin, overall health, weight and age can affect the outcome. Both men and women get tummy tucks. The procedure is especially useful for women whose skin has stretched after more than one pregnancy. For people whose fat deposits are just on the lower part of the abdomen, a partial abdominoplasty or mini-tummy tuck may be an option. Why Is It Needed? Skin has a limit to which it can stretch and still return to normal. When it stretches beyond that point, due to pregnancy or a large weight gain followed by weigh

THE MAGNIFICIENT OLIVES

Olives , one of the oldest foods known, are thought to have originated in Crete between 5000 and 7000 years ago. Their use quickly spread throughout Egypt, Greece, Palestine and Asia Minor. Olives have been a dietary staple since ancient times, bearing mention in the Bible, and included in art and history from the Greek and Egyptian cultures and played an important role in Greek mythology. Since ancient times, the olive tree has provided food, fuel, timber and medicine for many civilizations. It has also been regarded as a symbol of peace and wisdom. Olive oil has been consumed since 3000 BC. Olives were brought to America by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers during the 15th and 16th century. Franciscan missionaries introduced olives into California in the late 18th century. Today, much of the commercial cultivation of olives occurs in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Olives are fruits of the tree known as Olea europaea . Olea is the Latin word for oil , reflecting t

ARE YOU NUTS ABOUT NUTS ! ! !

Nuts - power pack of some important nutrients, protein, Mono Saturated Fats, fiber, antioxidants, phosphorus, selenium etc. A bite sized, convenient, power snack-Natures perfect gift! The nuts have many unique and healthy benefits. Vitamin E which is abundantly found in several nuts is a powerful antioxidant that can protect one from the damaging effects of free radicals. They can prevent chronic heart diseases and excessive weight gain in spite of being rich in fat. The secret lies in the fact that besides being rich in fats, they contain a large amount of protein and fiber. Both protein and fiber require more time to get digested than fat and carbohydrates and so eating a few nuts can work well to keep hunger at bay, partly because of their high protein and fat content and help to reduce excessive weight gain. Many scientific studies have pointed out that these mono saturated fatty acids can provide protection against coronary heart diseases. Nuts are also recomme

THE KILLER DONER

The doner is a post-pub favourite grease and salt being the main food groups craved by the squiffy. Yet, it also offers vegetables, protein and carbohydrates. Is the pitta pocket a wise dietary choice ??? The doner kebab is claimed to have been invented 40 years ago by Mr Mahmut Aygun, who left Turkey aged 16 to feed Berlin's migrant workers. Like the Earl of Sandwich before him, he realised that food on the go was at its handiest when stuffed into bread. Kebab meat - roast lamb and spices - is traditionally served with rice and salad on a plate, and its constituent parts are drawn from the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. But such a dish requires time, space and cutlery to eat. So in 1971 Mr Aygun tipped the meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and garlic dressing into a pitta pocket. the doner kebab - named after the Turkish word "dondurmek", meaning rotating roast - was born.The concept took off, and became a popular snack for anyone keen on portable eats -

MIRACLE BERRY

The miracle fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum , is native to West Africa and has been known to Westerners since the 18th century, when European explorer Chevalier des Marchais , who searched for many different fruits during a 1725 excursion and provided an account of its use there The cause of the reaction is a protein called miraculin , which binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids, according to a scientist who has studied the fruit, Linda Bartoshuk at the University of Florida’s Center for Smell and Taste. Marchais noticed that local people picked the berry from shrubs and chewed it before meals and the fruit pulp is used to sweeten palm wine. Historically it was also used to improve the flavor of maize bread gone sour For a time in the 1970s, US dieters could purchase a pill form of miraculin. It was at this time that the idea of the "miraculin party" was conceived. Recently, this phenomenon has enjoyed some revival in

APHRODISIAC FOODS

Stories and legends from the past have told us of various plants, spices and foods that seemed to act as sexual stimulants. Collectively these compounds, regardless of their sources are known as aphrodisiacs, after the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. Many of these aphrodisiacs also have strong psychedelic effects and have been used in magic rituals to establish contacts with gods, spirits, ancestors, past and future, during shamanic healing sessions, for prophecy, and to heal many diseases. Different Natural Aphrodisiacs And Their Effects An aphrodisiac is a substance which increase sexual desire, though they work in many different ways to affect sexual desire and sexual performance. Sex drive in both men and women can be enhanced with herbs. Regardless of their validity, aphrodisiacs have plenty of evidence by happy users to support their claims. Even modern science has begun to discover the benefits of many of these aphrodisiacs on the human libido. However,

THE NATUROPATH

Hippocrates (c.460 - c.370 BC) was the Greek physician who is now considered as a Father of the Western Medicine. He maintained that the body could heal itself with the aid of natural cures, such as a good diet . Although the term 'Naturopathy' was not adopted until the end of the 19th century, this system of medicine dates back to Hippocrates, whose recommendations more than 2000 years ago included the maxim 'Let food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food'. In the 19th and early 20th century, pioneers such as Stanley Lief in England, Max Bircher-Benner in Switzerland, and Henry Lindlahr in the United States, all ran residential clinics at which patients were able to fast and undergo physical therapy and water treatments to tackle a wide variety of ailments. These forerunners of modern scientific naturopathy were determined advocates of diets low in fats, salt and refined foods-diets that are now widely endorsed by health

VEGETARIANISM

" Nothing will benefit human health and increases chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet" - Albert Eienstein - By definition, Vegetarianism prohibits the consumption of Meat or Fish, but some diets are more restrictive than others. There are different types of Vegetarians: Demi or Semi Vegetarians eat Fish, and sometimes Chicken, but not red Meat. Ovo-Lacto-Vegetarians include Milk and Eggs in their diet but no Meat or Fish. Lacto Vegetarians have Milk and Yogurt, as well as Cheese made with Vegetarian rennet, but no Meat, Fish or Eggs. Vegans do not eat any animal products at all, banning Meat, Fish, Milk, and Eggs from their diets. Fruitarians exclude Pulses and Cereals from the diet as well as all food of animal origin. Fruitarians eat only Fruit, Honey, Nuts and Nut oils. Macrobiotic followers have a diet consisting of ten different levels, which become progressively more restrictive. At first

FEAR OF FOOD - CIBOPHOBIA

After all as human beings we need food to sustain our lives. It provides us with the required nourishment that is vital to our health and longevity. The Western culture has become increasingly fixated on leanness. The dirty secret of the beauty and the entertainment industries is that many models and actresses go to dangerous extremes to achieve size zero as advocated by today’s demanding fashion industry. Today’s magazines, TV shows, Celebrate actresses and models fear food because of the society’s pressure to maintain an unrealistic body shape. The truth is that the society seems to reward the very thin. Identity issues and self-esteem problems are common among today’s younger generation. Comparing yourself with those figures can be the first domino to fall in the development of Cibophobia, which can trigger various health problems, Psychological issues and emotional upheaval. FEAR OF FOOD – CIBOPHOBIA is a complicated phobia, which can spiral into an obsession. I

WATER THERAPY

Water, though has no taste, no colour, no odour, cannot be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself. Though fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses - Antoine De Saint-Exupery The therapeutic use of water has been recorded in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. This practice has been cited in the ancient medicinal Ayurveda practice of India. There are records in England that societies have been formed in the 18th century to promote the dietic and medicinal use of water. In the modern world it is widely practised in Japan, India and China. The use of water to cure diseases is generally called as water therapy or hydrotherapy . It is an undeniable fact that water is essential for life and it helps to remove toxins from our body and by consuming ordinary drinking water by the right method or as a therapy purifies the human body. In our body mucousal folds are present